Movies About Art

Updated May 1, 2024

For Movies About Art, there are many creators reporting on this topic. We gathered 12 of the best ones.

Tim's Vermeer (2013)

★★★★

3.1 out of 4 stars

From Teller, starring Tim Jenison, Penn Jillette, Martin Mull, Philip Steadman
Rated PG-13

"Tim's Vermeer" follows the journey of inventor and master innovator Tim Jenison as he attempts to re-create a painting by Dutch master Johannes Vermeer. Through analyzing Vermeer's works, Tim discovers that the painter used a camera obscura to paint the details in his paintings and that Vermeer may have used the same technique to create his most famous painting, "The Music Lesson". With the help of his friend, Penn Jillette, Tim goes on a journey to build a replica of the room in which Vermeer painted and to construct a camera obscura out of materials available in the 17th century. After months of trial and error, Tim is able to use the camera obscura to paint a replica of Vermeer's masterpiece, proving Vermeer's technique and genius.

F for Fake (1973)

★★★★

3.1 out of 4 stars

From Directors: Orson Welles, Gary Graver, Oja Kodar, François Reichenbach, starring Orson Welles, Oja Kodar, François Reichenbach, Elmyr de Hory
Rated PG

F for Fake is a 1973 docudrama directed by Orson Welles and Gary Graver and starring Welles, Oja Kodar, and François Reichenbach. The film explores the idea of art being a form of deception and is a mix of documentary, fiction, and comedy. The film follows Elmyr de Hory, an art forger, as he swindles the rich and famous with fake art, and Clifford Irving, who is exposed for writing a fake autobiography of Howard Hughes. The film is narrated by Welles and includes a number of interviews with both Irving and de Hory. It also features Kodar as a mysterious figure who is connected to both Irving and de Hory. The film is an exploration of the idea that art is ultimately a form of deception, as well as a darkly comic look at the nature of celebrity and fame.

The Art of the Steal (2009)

★★★★

3 out of 4 stars

From Don Argott, starring Julian Bond, David D'Arcy, Richard Feigen, Richard H. Glanton
Rated Unrated

The Art of the Steal is a 2009 documentary film directed by Don Argott that tells the story of the incredible battle to save the renowned Barnes Foundation art collection from relocation. The film follows the story of Dr. Albert C. Barnes, an eccentric millionaire from the early 20th century who established the Barnes Foundation in Merion, Pennsylvania, and the subsequent battle to keep his collection in its original home. Through interviews with lawyers, politicians, and other involved parties, Argott reveals a tangled web of backroom deals, political maneuverings, and moneyed interests, all of which threaten to undermine the legacy of one of the greatest art collections in the world. The film ultimately reveals the clash between those who wish to keep the collection in its original home and those who wish to move it to a museum in downtown Philadelphia. The Art of the Steal is a riveting look at the power of art and money, and how both can be used in the pursuit of a goal.